Transmission Oil change for newer models

[Georgephilny]

I recently got a new 2019 Rogue SV and was checking the manual for CVT fluid change inteval.

The manual clearly says "I" (i.e Inspect) every 10k miles until 120k miles and has a note as follows (does it mean if no towing is involved then we may never have to replace, assuming the inspection comes out good everytime)? :

Note from the manual:
(1) If towing a trailer, using a camper or a car-top carrier or driving on rough or muddy roads, inspect CVT fluid deterioration every 60,000 miles (96,000 km), then change CVT fluid if necessary. And if the inspection is not performed, change (not just inspect) CVT fluid every 60,000 miles (96,000 km). It is recommended that you visit a NISSAN dealer for this service.

Was wondering if the maintenance recommendation was the same for previous year models.

[casperfun]

When I bought my rogue it was known as lifetime fluid.

[Lone Wolff]

Was wondering if the maintenance recommendation was the same for previous year models.

For our 2015, yes.
Per the Service and Maintenance Guide:
Inspect CVT fluid at each 10,000 miles.

And at 60,000 miles:
"Replace (not just inspect) oil/fluid if towing a trailer, using a camper or a car-top carrier, or driving on rough or muddy roads. (except Hybrid Electronic Vehicle (HEV))"

Despite the fact that our car does not fall into any of those conditions, we are planning on changing our CVT fluid this fall at the 5 year ownership mark. It will likely be very close to the 60,000 mile mark. Seems like cheaper alternative vs replacing the entire transmission later since there is no means of inspecting the fluid at home. No dipstick, no fill tube. We are planning on keeping the car for 10 years, then moving on to something else so we want it to be in as good of shape mechanically as possible, but I don't see any point to paying the dealer every 10,000 miles to "inspect" the fluid. Unless it starts showing signs something isn't right. But so far, our 2015 has been a rock solid car. No complaints.

[Georgephilny]

Thanks Wolff. I too intend to keep my car long term and I know the CVT is the most important component to take care hence raised this specific question. I will continue to research what other things to keep in mind such as driving habits etc that can extend cvt reliability.

[tedc]

I asked the Nissan service manager and shop foreman since I'm new to the Nissan brand and Rogue, what maintenance would you do if you owned this car. They both said change CVT fluid and flush brake fluid every 25-30K. Yes, 25-30K. If you do the CVT fluid yourself, just make sure you use ONLY the proper Nissan transmission fluid and that the fluid level is dead on. I'm a stickler for fluid changes, and will change the CVT fluid, AWD transfer unit oil, differential oil and brake fluid every other year since I drive around 15K a year. The Rogue has a nice maintenance feature where you can custom set different mileage reminders for tire rotations, oil changes and other maintenance. Enjoy your 2019. Overall, I like my 2018. The Hankook Dynapro HT tires are not the best on snow and ice. Will swap them out before next winter with a top rated all weather (not all season) tire that is winter rated.

[datechboss101]

Don't trust those SAs. I had one dealer telling me to replace the CVT fluid every 30k miles, while the other one was telling me to change every 60k miles. I ended up changing at 58k miles. Since the 2nd gens doesn't have a dip-stick to check the transmission fluid, best bet is to do a D&F every 30k miles.

[tedc]

I like the idea of regular D&Fs. After watching a few videos, it looks just as easy as it is on Ford or GM products that I've done numerous times.

[amc49]

There is ABSOLUTELY no such THING as a trans fluid that is 'lifetime', and how they get more repair into the shop............unless one believes in lifetime engine oil as well.

Heat is the enemy just like with engine oil and the transmissions can actually get hotter in some circumstances. All trans fluid will eventually darken from heat damage and wear particles and the old school red dye used worked well as an indicator of time at heat. The newer CVTs use less dye (different color too which does not help) in them and harder to see it but still how you do it. IIRC the ECM or TCM also keeps a counter on time over a certain temperature, they can call up that number to tell how bad the fluid is. That number gets reflashed to zero at a fluid change.

If it wasn't too expensive I would change fluid every 30K, too many CVT fail just after 60K to wait that long to me. Or be guided by how the fluid degrades in color, they all do it. You'll likely need to add a dipstick as Nissan left them out to give Ghozn a raise. I've already added one to my Altima.

[tedc]

I was quoted $260 for the CVT fluid service and counter reset. What I forgot to ask is how much fluid is actually replaced. Is it more that just a drain and fill. Thinking I'll do a D&F at 30K myself and then let them complete the "proper" service at 60K with reset.

[Georgephilny]

Was the $260 quote at a Nissan dealer?

[tedc]

Yes, quote was from a Nissan dealership.

[datechboss101]

I guess that quote includes all 12 quarts and a horrendous amount for labor. I don't have my service reciepts on me on file since its back at home, but that is really alot from a Nissan dealer. Call around with multiple dealers and get the best price. I did that and got the best price from the dealer that I bought my Rogue from.

[jman26063]

Hey just want to put this info out there, I recently did a CVT service on my 2016 Rogue precisely following the FSM using NS3 fluid and the special tool (Charge Adapter) they call it. The procedure uses 9 full quarts and you have to break open a 10th bottle. All this has to be done while monitoring the fluid temp, and the final check is done with vehicle idling. All in all it was not a hard procedure but did involve some form of a scan tool to monitor temps as well as an adapter to make filling the transmission easier. Any questions just ask. I would assume that this is the service that nissan is charging between 260 and 350 for as it comes directly from the FSM